UN report says Israel and Hamas committed atrocity crimes in Gaza

By Olivia Le Poidevin

GENEVA, Feb 19 (Reuters) - Israeli forces, Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups have both committed serious violations of international humanitarian law in Gaza and carried out atrocity crimes, a U.N. report published on Thursday said.

Intensified Israeli attacks and the forcible transfer of Palestinians appeared aimed at a permanent demographic shift in Gaza "raising concerns over ethnic cleansing," the report by the U.N. human rights office said.

The holding and mistreatment of hostages by the Hamas Islamist militant group may amount to war crimes, it said.

Israel's permanent mission in Geneva dismissed the report's findings about Israel's actions, and said in a statement that the U.N. human rights office had lost its credibility.

"Office of the High Commissioner is engaged in a vicious campaign of demonization and disinformation against the State of Israel," it said.

Hamas did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

ETHNIC CLEANSING CONCERNS

The 17-page report investigated events in Gaza from November 2024 to October 31, 2025.

Hamas attacked southern Israel in October 2023, killing over 1,200 people and taking over 250 hostages, according to Israeli tallies. Israel's military offensive in Gaza has killed more than 72,000 people, the Palestinian health ministry says.

A U.S.-brokered ceasefire went into force last October after two years of war that damaged buildings across Gaza, displaced most of its residents and led to a humanitarian crisis. Israel still holds over half the enclave.

Israel's actions had imposed "conditions of life increasingly incompatible with Palestinians’ continued existence as a group in Gaza", the report said.

Famine found in some parts of Gaza last August by a global hunger monitor and malnutrition resulted directly from Israel's actions, the report said.

Militarised distribution centres run by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) backed by Israel and the United States "failed utterly" to deliver humanitarian aid at the scale required, violating Israel's obligations under international humanitarian law, it said.

Israeli practices in Gaza and the occupied West Bank indicated an accelerating effort to consolidate the annexation of large parts of occupied Palestinian territory, with unlawful use of force by Israeli security forces, the report said.

"During the reporting period, intensified attacks, the methodical destruction of entire neighbourhoods and the denial of humanitarian assistance appeared to aim at a permanent demographic shift in Gaza," it said.

"This, together with forcible transfers, which appear to aim at a permanent displacement, raise concerns over ethnic cleansing in Gaza and the West Bank."

CONCERNS ABOUT HAMAS' ACTIONS

The report found that the killing last June of 12 Palestinian staff associated with the GHF by armed men, including possible summary executions, may amount to war crimes by Hamas. Hamas has declined to comment on the shootings.

The report raised concerns about the use of civilians as human shields to prevent Israeli attacks, something Hamas has denied doing, and outlined unnecessary or disproportionate use of force by the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank.

The holding of and mistreatment of hostages taken in the Hamas attack on Israel in 2023 may amount to war crimes and potentially other atrocity crimes, the report said. It cited allegations of torture, beating and deprivation of food.

"There must also be accountability for serious violations of international law, including possible international crimes, by Hamas and its armed wing, Al Qassam Brigades as well as other Palestinian armed groups," it said.

(Reporting by Olivia Le Poidevin, Editing by Timothy Heritage)